Tank for separating liquid from gas under weightless conditions

摘要

A separator tank for separating and retaining a liquid phase from a liquid-gas fluid mixture is suitable for use with cryogenic as well as non-cryogenic liquids, in space experiments or other applications under weightless conditions. The separator tank has liquid storage members of porous, sponge-like metal foam arranged in a tank vessel. The total pore volume and porosity characteristics of the metal foam are selected to provide capillary uptake greater than the total volume of the liquid to be retained. In a preferred example, the liquid storage members are coaxially arranged, radially spaced, annular cylindrical members, with flow passage notches at alternating opposite ends thereof, to form a meandering fluid flow path therebetween. A gas extraction device is provided at the center of the tank. The separator tank and an upstream connected fluid supply tank can be arranged within a cryostat.

主权项

1. A tank arrangement comprising a liquid separator tank adapted to separate a liquid from a gas,
wherein said liquid separator tank comprises a tank vessel having a tank inlet into which a fluid including a liquid, a gas and/or a liquid-gas mixture is to be introduced and having a tank outlet from which pure gas without liquid is to be emitted, wherein said liquid separator tank further comprises plural liquid storage members that are arranged in said tank vessel and that comprise an open-celled porous metal foam material having pores adapted to take-up the liquid from the fluid, wherein all of said metal foam material of all of said liquid storage members has a total pore volume of said pores greater than a volume of the liquid to be taken up, and wherein said liquid storage members are:
(A) arranged as alternately staggered baffles between said inlet and said outlet to establish a meandering fluid flow path that meanders back-and-forth successively along and around said alternately staggered baffles from said inlet to said outlet, or(B) configured as annular cylindrical plates arranged as plural coaxial annular cylinders spaced apart radially from one another by respective annular spaces, in a main interior space within said tank vessel.